Weft-detecting mechanism for drop-box looms



' Filed April 9. 1926 hee -Shee'c 1 10% 1 Nov. 1, 1927. V 1,647,729

7 A. A. GORDON WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM FOR iDROP BOX LOOMS In 'nnnn I '4, I

Nov. 1, 1927.

Filed April 9. 1926- v A. A. GORDON WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM FOR DROP BOX LOOMS 2- Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEA/ '7 F? 4 fl GOEDON .HTTo/e/vE s Patented Nov. 1, 1927.

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ALBERT A. GORDON, OF WORCESTER, IvLtSSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR T CROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOIVI 'WORKS, OF "WORCESTER, MASSAU1-IUSETTS,-A CORPOBATEOIIOE MASSACHUSETTS.

WEFT-DETECTING MECHANISM FOR DRQE-BOX LOOMS.

Application filed April 9,

This invention relates to weft detecting mechanism for a drop box loom of the general type in which a separate detecting member is provided for each drop box at thedetecting end of the loom.

More specifically, my invention relates to devices or attachments by which each separate detecting: member may be held inoperative for av predetermined number of flights-of its particular shuttle.

One particular object of my invention, is to provide means for moving each detecting member to a position spaced from the weft on the active weft carrier while said member is held inoperative, so that no contact between the detecting member and the weft will occur.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will he hereinafter described and more particu-v larly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shownin the drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of portions of a loom to which my improved detecting mechanism is applied;

Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation of the detecting mechanism, taken along the line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial side view of a detecting mechanism, looking in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 1; i

Fig. l is an enlarged plan view of the detecting mechanism;

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sectional elevations, taken along the lines 5-5 and 6-6 in Fig. i; and

Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are diagrammatic views, illustrating the operation of my in- Vention.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a portion of a loom side 10, a breast beam 11, and a lay 12 having a lay end 13 in which drop boxes ll are mounted for vertical movement. The mechanism for shifting the drop boxes may be of any usual commercial type and is not shown in the drawings, as it forms no part of my present invention.

A plate or bracket 16 (Fig. 4) is secured to the top of the drop box frame 14 and a similar plate or bracket 17 (Fig. 2) is secured to the bottom of the frame 14;. These brackets form a support for the detecting mechanism and each bracket is provided 1926. Serial No. 100,979.

with a forwardly extended arm 18 on which the numbering wheels are mounted.

A; plurality of detector supporting levers 20 are pivoted on a stud 21 0n the brackets and 17, and are mounted for free swingi0 ing movement. A. detecting member 21 pivoted at 22 (Figse and 6) to the outer upright portion of the frame 25 is thus po sitioned for engagement by any one of the detecting members 21. At its lower end, the frame is provided with an outwardly projecting arm 28 (Fig. 4) to which is pivoted an indicating rod 29.

When one of the detecting members 21 ena substantially exhausted weft carrier, said engaging member will slide axially on the weft carrier toward the point or tip thereof, and in so doing will engage the frame 25 and move the indicating rod 29 to the right to a position where it will engage a lever 30 (Fig. 1) as the lay and detecting mechanism moves forward.

The swinging movement of the lever 30,

causes a member 31 to be raised into the path of a cam-actuated operating member, (not shown), but which, upon engagement; of the member 31, forces the same forward across the top of the breast beam 11.

At its front end, the member 31 is pivoted to an arm 32 mounted on a rock shaft 33,

pivoted in bearings at the lower front edge.

of the breast beam and connected to indicate weft exhaustion to the weft replenishing mechanism at the opposite end of the loom.

A spring 34 is provided to retain the indicating rod 29 normally in inoperative position and a. stop collar 35 limits the movement of the indicator'rod to the left in Fig. 1.

For a more complete description of the connections between the indicator rod 29 and the weft replenishingmechanism, reference is made to my prior application, Serial No. 83,859, in which this mechanism is fully described.

A series of three-armed levers 40 are mounted on the pivot stud 21 of the detector supporting levers 20, one lever tO being provided for each lever 20. One arm &0 of each lever is connected by a spring 41 to a fixed tie-rod 12 and acts to yieldingly hold the lever 10 in the position shown in Fig. at. A second arm 40 of each lever 40 is provided with a vertically elongated contact plate 13 for engagement by a contact arm or member 1 1, extending upwardly from a hub 15, fixed to a rod e6 supported in bearings i? in fixed relation to the lay end 13. A spring 48 normally moves the hub and contact member 4A; to the right, as indicated in Fig. 1, but permits yielding operative sliding movement of the rod to the left.

The hub 15 is also provided with an arm (Fig. 2) extending rearwardly therefrom and connected by a link 51 to a pattern controlled mechanism by n'ieans of which the contact member it will be at all times positioned opposite the contact plate 43 of the particular lever 40 which is associated with. theshuttle about to bee me active. For a full disclosure and description of the pattern controlled connections for the link 51, reference is again made to my prior application, Serial No. 83,859.

The right hand end of the spring 428 2) is engaged beneath the arn'i 50 and acts to yieldingly swing the contact member a l toward the front of the loom, movement in the opposite direction being effected under the control of the pattern mechanism.

The third arm 40 of each of the threearmed levers 40 is provided with a lug or projection (Fig. 1), through which a bolt 56 is loosely slidable. The bolt 56 also er:- tends through a similar lug 57 on the as sociated detecting lever 20 and a spring 58 is interposed between the lugs 55 and 57. The spring thus holds each lever 10 and its associated lever 20 in yieldingly spaced relation, the exact amount of separation being determined by the bolt 56.

Each arm 40 of each lever to is also provided with an upward projection 60 in which is pivoted a locking lever or latch 61. The shape of these locking levers is clearly shown in Fig. 10, each lever 61 being provided with locking shoulders 62 and 63 and with an interposed cam surface 64. The other end of each locking lever is formed as a tapered point 65, positioned for engagement by a rotatable control, member 66.

One of these control members is provided for each of the locking levers 61 and all of the control members are loosely pivoted upon a stud 67, secured in the arms 18 of the brackets 16 and 17. Each control member 66 is made in the form of a double cone, having a double conical surface which is interrupted at one point on one face, as inclicated at 68 in Fig.4.

A ratchet Wheel 70 is secured to each 0011 trol member 66 and is rotatable therewith.

A spring locking pawl 71 for each ratchet wheel 70 holds the wheel yieldingly from rotation and a separate feed pawl 72 pivoted at 73 on the arm d0 of the associated lever 40 acts to advance each ratchet wheel one space for each actuation of its lever 10.

Having described the details of construction of my improved detecting mechanism, the operation thereof is as follows:

The contact arm or member 4A is intermittently shifted by the connections from the pattern mechanism to successive position opposite the contact plate l3 belonging to the detecting mechanism for the shuttle about to become active or about to be thrown across the lay. The contact member remains in this position opposite one plate 43 as long as that particular shuttle is active.

As the lay moves forward, a roll 75 (Fig. 1) on the end of the sliding rod 16 engages a cam plate 76 fixed to the loom frame 10 and is forced to the left (Figs. 1 and 4:) giving the contact member M: an operative movement by which the selected arm 10 is moved angularly in a clockwise direction, at the same time advancing the associated detecting member 21 through the slot in the shuttle, to engage the weft carrier W in the selected shuttle, and to indicate the supply of weft thereon. If the supply of weft is su'liicient, the detecting member 21 will be h d from sliding movement along the weft c ier and the frame 25 and indicator rod 29 will not be shifted to indicate weft replenishment.

When the member 21 engages a well filled weft carrier 7, further swinging movement of the lever 20 is thereby prevented, while the lever to continues to move clockwise, thus compressing the spring 58 and allowing the locking lever or latch 61 to drop over the lever 20 to the position shown in Fig. 8, with the lever held behind the shoulder 62.

As the levers 40 and 20 return to their normal outward position, the end 65 of the locking lever 61 engages the upper side'of the associated double cone control member 66 and is forced thereby to the position shown in Fig. 9. By this movement, the lever 20 is further withdrawn by the cam face and is finally positioned behind the OI shoulder 63, in which position the detecting member 21 is so far withdrawn that it does not engage the weft on the weft carrier W, even when swung rearward to detecting position.

The contact member 44 continues to swing the detector rearward at every alternate beat of the lay so long as that particular shuttle remains in operation and on each such rearward motion the pawl 72 advances the ratchet wheel 70 one space. When the ratchet. wheel has been rotated for almost a complete revolution, the oflset or raised porlfii) in Y tion 68 of the control member is positioned for engagement by the point of the latch 61 upon its next return movement from detecting position, and on such return movement the latch is shifted to the position indicated in Fig. 10, releasing the lever 20 so that the detecting member 21 will engage the weft on'the weft car ier on its next detecting movement.

If a suflicient supply of weft is found, the lever 20 will be again latched in the position shown in Fig. 8, and will be thereafter moved to the position shown in Fig. 9 for another revolution of the ratchet wheel and its control member 66. If the shuttles are shifted before the rotation of the ratchet wheel and control member are completed, the holding pawl 71 retains the parts in the position then occupied until the return of that particular shuttle to running position when the count is continued.

Each separate weft detecting member is thus. withdrawn from operative position after a single engagement by a well-filled weft carrier, andis retained in inoperative.

position until a full revolution of its ratchet wheel and control member. Each detector is thus retained inoperative for a predetermined number of flights of its shuttle, regardless of the changes of the shuttle boxes and regardless of the movements of the other shuttles in the loom.

When, however, the weft in any one of the shuttles is so far reduced in diameter that the corresponding lever 20 is not forced forward by detecting engagement therewith far enough for engagement with the shoulder 62, as indicated in Fig. 8, the locking de vice for that particular lever 20 will thereafter remain inoperative and the detecting member will detect every time that shuttle returns to the detector side of the loom until the partly exhausted weft carrier therein has become substantially exhausted, whereupon weft replenishment will be indicated by the indicating rod 29.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is 1. In a drop box loom having a lay and a plurality of shifting shuttle boxes at the detecting end thereof, a separate weft detecting member permanently associated with each of said shuttle boxes, means effective to selectively actuate the detecting member for the shuttle about to be picked from the detecting end of the lay, a separate disabling device for each detecting member, and separate counting means for each disabling device, each counting means being advanced only while the associated shuttle is active.

2. In a drop box loom having a lay and a plurality of shifting shuttle boxes at the detectmg end thereof, a separate weft detecting member permanently ascociated with each of said shuttle boxes, means effective, to selectively actuate the detecting member for the shuttle about to be picked from the detecting end of the lay, a separate disabling device for each detecting member, and separate counting means for each disabling device, each counting means being advanced only while the shuttle is active and being held in the position to which it has been ad vanced so long as its shuttle is inactive.

8. In a drop box loom having a lay and a plurality of shifting shuttle boxes at the detecting end thereof, a separate weftdetecting member permanently associated with each of said shuttle boxes, means effective to selectively actuate the detecting member for the shuttle about to be picked from the detecting end of the lay, means to advance each detecting member toward its shuttle at every alternate flight thereof, and means to prevent contact of each detecting member with the were in its shuttle for predetermined periods of active operation of said shuttle.

4. In a drop box loom having a lay and a plurality of shifting shuttle boxes at the detecting end thereof, a separate weft detecting member permanently associated witheach of said shuttle boxes, means efiective to selectively actuate the detecting member for the shuttle about to be picked from the detecting end of the lay, means to advance each detecting member toward its shuttle at every alternate flight thereof, means to hold said detecting member slightly withdrawn from weft detecting position, means to withdraw said member further from said weft detecting position, and means to release said detecting member after a predetermined number of flights of the, indicated shuttle.

5. In a drop box loom having a lay and a plurality of shifting shuttleboxes at the detecting end thereof, a separate weft-detecting member permanently associated with each of said shuttle boxes, means effective to selectively actuate the detecting member for the shuttle about to be picked from the detecting end of the lay, means to advance each detecting member toward its shuttle at every alternate flight thereof, and means to withdraw said detecting member from detecting position when thus advanced, said means being inoperative when the weft in the indicated shuttle is reduced below a predetermined diameter.

6. In a drop box loom having a lay and a plurality of shifting shuttle boxes at the detecting end thereof, a separate weft-detecting member permanently associated with eachof said shuttle boxes, means effective to selectively actuate the detecting member for the shuttle about to be picked from the detecting end of the lay, means to advance each detecting member toward its shuttle at every alternate flight thereof, means to WithdraW said detecting member from Weft-engaging position even when thus advanced, and means to release said detecting member after predetermined number of flights of the indicated shuttle.

7. The combination in a drop box loom as set forth in claim 6, in which said with drawing means includes a double conical engaging member having an outwardly projected reiease portion at one point in its periphery. V

8. The combination in a drop box loom as set forth in claim 6, in which said Withdrawing means includes a latch having two shoulders and an intervening cam portion, and means to move said latch to operative and inoperative position.

9. The combination in a drop box loom as set forth in claim 6, in which said with draving means includes a latch having two shoulders and intervening cam portion, and includes a rotatable member etl'ective incertain angular positions to move said latch to operative position and in another position to release said latch. v

10. The combination in a drop box loom as set forth in claim 6, in which said withdrawing means includes a latch having two shoulders and intervening cam portion, and includes a rotatable member effective in cer tain angular positions to move said latch to operative position, and in another position for the shuttle about tobe picked from the detecting end of the lay, and means effective.

to hold each detecting member inoperativeafter a detecting movement until its particular connecting device has been ineftectively operated a predetermined number of times.

12. In a drop box loom having a lay and a plurality of shitting shuttle boxes at the detecting end thereof, a separate Weft detecting member permanently associated With each of said shuttle boxes, separate connecting devices selectively actuated to give a detecting movement to the detecting member tor the shuttle about to be picked from the "detecting end ot the lay, and a separate disabling device effective to hold each detect ing member inoperative after a detecting movement until its particular detecting device has been inettectively operated a predetermined number of times, each disabling device operating entirely independently of the other disabling devices.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto atiixed my signature.

ALBERT A. GORDON. 

